SIR: Once again Mr.S.R.Morgan is busy making assumptions about people (BEN, February 13). He seems to revel in grouping people together and judging them by type. He thinks that everyone claiming benefit is somehow fiddling the system. I agree that the benefit system is in need of radical review and that millions are lost through fraud but surely trying to take people off benefits, or at least applying some sympathy to those who are legitimate claimants, would be better

practice than simply labelling every claimant as a 'cheat'. A small number are cheats while the majority are simply being cheated.

Ross Sheare,

40, Chapletown Road, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.